Control switch



March l2, 1929. A. H. MElsi-:NHEIMER 1,704,949'

GNTROL SWITCH Filed Feb. 9, 1927 Inventor Ailorney Patented Mar. 12,1929.

UNITED STATES ALLEN H. MEISENHEIMER, SEOKANE, VIAS-ZINGTON.

CONTROL SVITCH.

Application filed February 9, 1927.

My present invention relates to improvements in control switches 'loruse in electric signaling systems, which, while hereinafter referred toas part of the equipment o't an automotive vehicle, may also be used inconnection with water-craft and aircrait tor controlling electricsignals. In the present exen'lpliiication of my invention I have shown aswitch especially adapted for use on lthe steering post or column of anautomobile tor controlling traic signals on the vehicle that areselectively iilumined by electric lamps in circuit-s controlled by theswitch. The control switch of my invention is of the type employing' apivoted contacter or switch lever which co-acts selectively with one ofa plurality o contacts arranged in the are et a circle and in a planefor sliding contact with the switch lever or contacter.

The several contacts are designed to be depressed, after selection7 bythe pressure applied to the contacter, for contact with anelectro-magnet for completing the signal eircuit and the magnet isutilized for holding` the contact in depressed position and thusmaintaining' the circuit. Means are provided in connection with thecontacter or switch lever for breaking the electro-magnet circuit torelease the depressed contact7 and means are provided for restoring thedepressed and released contacter to normal position. lVhen the switch isused on an automotive vehicle in connection with a tratlic signal systemthe n'iotorist may indicate to a pedestrian, motorists, and others hisintended turns, stops, and other maneuvers, and ditlerent signals may beillumined by electric lamps controlled by the switch.

The signal lamps are each included in a lamp circuit. and a pilot lampis also used which is included in all the circuits, as a detector,y toindicate whether or not the selected circuit is closed or open. Asherein illustratet the pilot lamp and control switch are located at thehead of the steering column of the automotive vehicle where they arereadily accessible for use by the motorist, and the signals of thesystem are located at suitable and convenient points about the vehicle.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example ofthe physical embodimentof my invention wherein the parts are combinedand arranged according to the best mode I have thus far devised for thepractical application of the principles of my invention.

Serial N0. 165,920.

Figure l is av plan view oi the control switch showing` its relation tothe steeringy wheel and indicating' by dotted lines the position. oi thecontacter or switch lever for deizing' the electro-magnet to releL acontact nut-ml Tl'mwfr'ww. c 1 ii-f .-l i iguic .a is an cnlaiger vertica .sectional View ol the switch mechanism on line 2-2 of .liigure l.

flg. *l j line o o of Figui Figure i is a sectional detail view of theca p used at the top of the steering column in i with the switchmechanism. l a is an enlarged sectional detail view olf one oi thedepressible contacts, in open or nori al i' upnlted position.

ln order that the general arrangement of parts may be readily understoodI have indicated the steering column as l, the steering wiieel as 2 andthe iuel control lever and ignition control lever as 3 and 4lrespectively, the latter' being pivoted at the center of the steeringcolumn. The button 5 oi the hor.A control switch is carried at the topof the cap 6, and this cap is fashioned with a slot G for theaccommodation et the switch lever or contacter. rllhe cap is secured tothe top of the steering' column by means of bolts as T and the switchlever or contactor 8 is T'ashioned oi resilient metal and pivoted at 9at the axial center of the steering column. The lever projects throughthe slot (3 of the cap and is designed to be swung through the arc ot' acircle when selecting a sigjnal to he operated. Un the u] per surtir-,cco? the lover or contacter provided a head l) ag im. whi h the thumb orlinger may be applied ilor the purpose of swinging the contacter in ahorizontal plane and for bending it downwardly to depress a contact andclose a circuit. The contactor rests upon a semi-circular or arcuateshaped conductor plate 1l which is used for a grounding bar in theelectric circuits while the bar is in con tact with the lever. lVhen thelever or contacter 8 is moved to dotted position in Figure l, free fromthe bar, the electric circuits are brolen. The wires or cables from thisgrounding bar are indicated at l2 and are passed down through the tube13 of the steering column tor proper attachment.

The switch device includes a semi-circular or arcuate-shaped box 14disposed at a portion of the periphery of the cap 6 and in the bottomportion of the box is located an electroinagnet- 15 With a Wire 16extended to and grounded at the steering column. In the boX and locatedabove the eleetroniagnet are arranged a nuniber of contacts indicated asa Whole by the nun'ieral 17 and provided with letters as R, S, L, B, G,P, F, T, D, indicating a right turn, stop lett turn, and other traficsignals.

Each of these contacts comprises an upper head 18 (on which tbe sionaldata is displayed) a stein 19 adapted to reciprocate in a cup Q0, and a.spring i1 betneen the head and the bottoni ot the cup normally holds thehead in upli'tted position and returns it to such position after theContact has been dcpressed and released. it the lower end e'f the stein,below the cup, is provided a contacthead 22 designated to Ylirictionallyengage and electrically contact with the electroi'iiagnet below it.rEhus the switch lever or contacter may be swung to position over theselected contact 17, then the lever bent to iflepress the contact andthe latter is i'orced downwardly into Contact With the eleetroinagnet toconiplete a signal circuit, and the Contact mein ber is held by themagnet as long as,the lever 8 is in contact with the grounding' bar 11.The several Wires as 23 ior the di''lerent sie'- nal circuits arebrought together into a cable 24 in Figure 2 and thence are distributedin suitable inanner to forni the Various lamp circuits of the signalsystem.

A pilot light or lanip 25 is used to indicate whether or not a circuitis operating, and this light as a detector is included inthe signalcircuits to be illuinined yWhen a sional circuit is closed. The lainp 25is supported in a bracket 26 and a reflector 2'? for the lainpis used toilluminate the s itch device, the Wires 28 troni the lanip being pass-edthrough the hollow bracket 26 to the cable 24, and an auxiliaryTrellector L9 is carried by the bracketto assist in illuniinating thedial or arcuate switch box.

I 't Will be apparent that by deprcseing' the resilient contacter orlever 8, a contact is forced down into contact with the electroniagnetto close a signal circuit, and rrhile the lever 8 is retained in Contactwith the groundingl bar the signal displayed. By nio'vi i the lever todotted position in Figure 1 Where itis free troni the bar, the circuitis broke the electron'iagnet is rie-energized and the depressed Contacttreed, whereupon the spring 21 returns it to normal upliited peer ion.

Having thus fully described iny inv ation what l claim as nerY anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is- Y In a control switch thecombination w'i" a resilient pivoted lever oi" a springv pressed,depressible Contact and its supporting cup adapted to be depressed bysaid lever, an electroniagnet below the Contact for electricalconnection therewith, and a grounding bar in the path ot th-e lever,whereby the electroinagnet may be cle-energized when the lever isseparated troni the grounding bar.

n testimony Whereot l allie; iny sig ALLEN H. MEISENl-llfi

